Mass Effect: Resurrection
by Yassen275
Summary: As he dies, Shepard learns that life has one final insult; reminding us what we lost and what we'll never know again.
1. Release

"SHEPARD!"

There was no time to think. Ignoring Joker's outcry, Shepard fumbled with the holographic launch control, trying to hold on as the Normandy died around him. The stream of energy that was tearing through her was a mere two meters from him. He could feel its intense heat, adding to the layers of sweat covering his forehead.

An explosion to his left shook the ship, his grip slipped. He only had a few seconds, reaching as far as he could, the tip of his finger just barely made contact with the launch control, propelling Joker to safety. As Shepard listened to Joker's pod escape his dying ship, he wondered how, if at all, he was ever going to get out this time. If he survived the ship blowing up, would the Alliance be able to pluck him from the emptiness of space? Would they even find him?

Another violent explosion rattled the ship and before he could even register what happened, he was dealt a heavy blow to the back of the head.

There was blackness for a short time.

Shepard quickly came to, the stars danced over his eyes and it felt like his helmet was suddenly 4 sizes too small. As his vision cleared, he could now only watch in horror as the Normandy took one last gasp and was ended forever. Large chunks flew past him, so long as nothing small and fast penetrated his suit he may be able to survive this yet.

It suddenly occurred to him that his ears were ringing. Not from the explosion. It was his suit; the alarms had gone off indicating a breach.

What he had quickly dismissed as smudges on his visor, he now realized was the air he needed to survive. He quickly grasped the cable that fed oxygen to his helmet trying to block whatever hole that ran along its vital path.

It didn't help. His oxygen was draining quickly; there was nothing he could do.

This is it.

Many people have heard the story that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That's not always the case. If your life is about to be ended in a split second, then you only have that short flash. Shepard has experienced this plenty of times, noticing a sniper aiming directly at his head, followed by the unmistakable sound of a gun firing. Luckily the sniper had missed. It wasn't until the fighting was over that he remembered that feeling; the flashes.

But this is different.

As your life slowly exits your body, life plays one final insult. Instead of flashes, it pulls you to those moments and they feel like they last forever. Reminding you of everything you're about to loose, everything you're never going to experience again.

He was 5 years old. He had lived his entire short life on ships and at last he was going to know what a real planet felt like. He was standing in a park with his parents, the grass tickling his sensitive feet, the wind softly kissing his cheeks and whistling in his ears. He was used to the feeling of air blowing against him from the fans on the ships. But they always had a constant temperature and speed. This was different. The wind changed constantly, it felt warm and cold at the same time; it was alive. He had forgotten that moment, he was so used to the feeling now. He tried to convince himself that it was natural to not notice things like that after a time. But no rationalisation could excuse the fact he made the one mistake his parents never told him to make; to take life for granted.

He was standing in the girl's toilet. He was 14, at school and dodging class, his parents wouldn't be happy. But she made sure they never found out. Over the months he had developed a friendship with a girl named Natalie. She was a genius to put it simply. She was able to do things with her Omni-tool that made Shepard's head spin. The technology teacher had said Natalie knew more than he did. So naturally Shepard had asked her to be his tutor. It took some time but before long he was acing the class. He wasn't as talented with tech as she was, but he was still better than most.

Today she had asked Shepard to dodge class with her, she used her Omni-tool to make it seem like they had permission from their parents to leave class. He didn't know what she had planned. Next thing he knew, they were in a cubicle in the girls bathroom. She had said something about 'like liking' him. It was all a bit of a haze, since he was so focused on not messing up kissing her. He didn't know what he was doing, but she seemed to be enjoying it. The warmth of her lips, the feel of her hair; it was a sensory overload.

They were a couple for a time, but as all young love goes it ended with tears. Shepard's parents were leaving for some military mission and he had to go with them. He never saw her again. Even during his military years as an adult he tried to get in contact with her. But unsurprisingly, the galaxy is a big place. Remembering her now made Shepard want to try to find her again.

Then it hit home. He never will now.

Another thing he took for granted. Another thing he wished he could have done. Was there nothing he was proud of? Was there anything that could make him go in peace without the crushing loss he feels right now?

The memories came quicker now; he was experiencing his training as a soldier, the Skyllian Blitz, his graduation from the N7 Special Forces program. Why were these memories so quick? What was it about the last memories that made them feel so long?

Then came hiss mission to hunt down Saren. Eden Prime, the Citadel, Noveria, Therum, and all the places he travelled on his mission. Then came the faces; he saw them all, Joker, Adams, Pressly, Chakwas, Ashley, Kaiden, Garrus, Wrex; those were his friends.

He saw Liara next; her cute freckles, her nervous speaking and remembered what it felt like when they shared that moment together before Ilos. It was special, there was no denying that. But even now Shepard knew something was off. It didn't feel right. He had excused that feeling as a sign of him not used to being with an Asari. It never went away though. Even as the feeling became familiar it still wasn't right.

He saw Tali last. Why was she last? He was in the red alley way on the Citadel. They had to find this Quarian before Saren's thugs killed her. When he offered his hand to pull her up from the ground, he marvelled for a moment at her hand. He still wasn't used to seeing a hand with three fingers, let along holding one. Later aboard the Normandy he went down to see how she was coping. She was overjoyed, she loved ships and the Normandy was the best ship in the Alliance fleet.

Over the weeks Shepard made an effort to talk with his crew. They always appreciated it, especially Tali. After months of being treated like a second class citizen, the way Shepard treated her like everyone else was a relief. He always admired Tali, she was entirely selfless, intelligent and fun. He especially admired her eyes, small lights behind a purple mask. There was something compelling about them.

Why is he thinking so much about Tali?

The answer made him want to slap himself for being so stupid. He would have done except he could feel his life begin to slip away. His memories were fading. But Tali remained. That was all he needed. Shepard had lived a life surrounded by death. His father died, his fellow soldiers died, his crew died, and everyone who ever went up against him died. Now death came for him. He went with a smile on his face.

* * *

**A/N: This is my first attempt at fan fiction, not very original I'll admit but I wanted to see how people would find my writing style. Any constructive criticism is appreciated. If this is well recieved I'll consider writing more. **


	2. Renew

"Status?"

Wilson didn't know why she bothered asking. In the two years they've been working on this guy she had learnt more about the technology involved than most of the science team. Not to mention she never let a single decision or report go through the station without her knowing about it. She might as well have asked which organisation they were apart of.

"Progress is steady but slow," Wilson replied. "All major organs are functioning. Bone tissue has been fully repaired. Muscles, ligaments and tendons fully repaired. Brain waves are steady but with some anomalies."

Miranda nodded. She was already aware of the anomalies.

"We've determined the anomalies are the result of the Prothean cipher that was implanted in Shepard's mind two years ago. They shouldn't be a problem."

Wilson took a deep breathe.

"What _will_ be a problem is the fact we have lost some of Shepard's functionality and insignificant memories. His skills will be a bit sloppy at first but with a bit of practice he should be as good as before."

"How much did you loose?'

The accusatory wording wasn't lost on Wilson. He was afraid of this. When Cerberus first hired him two years ago they said for every 1% of Shepard's mind they lost he would loose 50% of his pay check. He was as careful as he could be, but some lose was inevitable and the fact they achieved this much was a miracle in itself.

"About 2.43%."

Wilson waited for the axe to fall. Two tears work, all the credits he would ever need for life; gone.

Miranda simply nodded.

"That's within acceptable parameters. How long until his scars are fully healed?"

Did he just hear her right? 'Within acceptable parameters'? Either Wilson was going crazy from looking at the same corpse for two years or Miranda was actually having a good day. She had made it clear from the start that any lose of who Shepard was before he died was unacceptable. It was the point of the whole operation. Maybe getting so close to the end has caused her to loosen up a bit. Well he wasn't about to remind Miranda of the threat that sat so firmly in Wilson's mind for two years. He wasn't as big an idiot as Miranda thought he was.

"The scars should heal in about 12 days, so long as Shepard stays asleep in that time. Any sooner and he might start looking like the walking corpse he really is."

"Very well, I'll take over from here."

No surprise there. As Wilson walked out of the medlab he shot a glance over his shoulder, Miranda was standing over Shepard with a report in her hand, no doubt checking for any mistakes he might have made or missed. There was a time where that wasn't the only thing he'd glance at but those times were long gone. Wilson had never thought it was possible to stop being attracted to a woman's looks just by her attitude alone but he also didn't think it was possible to bring someone back from the dead. How times change.

Wilson walked down the hallway towards his office, a celebratory scotch waiting in his drawer. He passed two armed mechs standing guard outside Miranda's office. No one was ever allowed access in there and Wilson didn't have to guess why. The staff may be doing something important but spending so long in space can still make some men… strained. When security caught some desperate doctor 'rearranging' Miranda's undergarments the mechs were brought on to the station to add further security; against themselves than from attackers. The decision still seemed odd to Wilson, extra security against perverts on the station? Was overkill in Wilson's opinion. But then Cerberus never asked for his opinion unless it was about Shepard, so he kept his mouth shut.

As he entered his office, he slumped into his chair and pulled the hidden treasure from his drawer. They had done it. They had brought Shepard back. He still wasn't sure if he'd get the paycheck of his life when he left but he at least had something to be proud of, something he could gloat about.

They say pride is the source of all sin, Wilson thought as he poured himself a drink. In which case, I am surely going to Hell.

Holding the glass up in front of him, Wilson gave a silent cheers to the empty room and sculled the golden liquid. Placing the glass down on his desk he almost felt a sense of loss. Despite the strict work hours, the almost impossible goals and of course _Miranda_, these may have been the best two years of his working life. Wilson loved a challenge and this was as challenging as you could get. He got to work with some of the finest doctors, received any equipment and resources he asked for and despite the fact this operation won't become public knowledge, he got to work on the greatest medical achievement in human history!

Wilson smirked to himself. Maybe he should apply for a more permanent position at Cerberus. They definitely were his type of people.

* * *

Miranda stood in the medlab, deep in thought. She held a medical report in her hand but wasn't really reading it. They were nearing the end. Her mind shot back to the end of the first year of the project when that pervert assaulted her clothes drawer. He was 'removed' from the station and Miranda thought that be would the end of it. She received a message from the Illusive Man stating he wanted to speak in person. This in itself warned Miranda it was important, most of the time they simply communicated through reports.

As she stepped into the glowing circle of the communications room, the familiar scene before her still managed to impress her. There sat the Illusive Man in his minimalistic chair and smoking his perpetual cigarette; the star in the background making a beautiful dim glow over the room.

"Miranda, as you no doubt know there's something I'd wish to discuss with you."

Straight to the point, if there was one thing Miranda respected immensely about this enigmatic figure before her, it was this.

"Doctor Patrick O'Brien was deported from your station, for reasons I'm sure I don't need to go in to. This presents an interesting opportunity for us."

Miranda ran dozens of scenarios in her mind. 'Opportunities'? How would some pervert being kicked out possibly benefit the operation?

"Due to the attack on the Citadel a year ago, the Council has funded mass productions of LOKI Mechs to make up for all the soldiers they lost. This has made them immensely easy to get a hold of. I'll be sending twenty dozen LOKI mechs and five YMIR mechs to your station to improve security and prevent anymore temptations among the staff."

That many because of one doctor giving in to temptation?

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why so many? Even one fifth of that would suffice. And I highly doubt the staff will try and sneak into my quarters again."

The Illusive Man took a long drag from his cigarette and tapped it into his ashtray.

"Miranda. When Shepard wakes up do you think he'll trust us enough to work with us?"

She had considered this herself but the sudden change in topic still took her by surprise.

"Honestly, no I don't believe he will." She hoped this might convince the Illusive Man to implant the control chip she suggested a year ago but to no avail. He fixed her a knowing glare.

"My answer is still no on the control chip Miranda. But we'll need to find a way to get Shepard out of that station willingly and to me as soon as possible. We'll also need to field test the Commander's combat skills to make sure he has the functionality to pull this mission off."

He took another drag from his cigarette, the glow from the tip lighting up his face and the unknown years it has weathered.

"We need a disaster."

The pieces fell extremely quickly in Miranda's mind; the mechs, testing Shepard's skills and getting him off the station quickly in a way that he can't object to.

"Sir… what about the staff?"

He softly stared at her for a short time.

"Whatever it takes Miranda. No matter the cost."

A small hologram appeared next to the Illusive Man's hand indicating their time together was over. As the scene disappeared Miranda knew he was right. He always was.

In the present Miranda sent the report of Shepard's condition to the Illusive Man. To her surprise she received a report from him almost immediately.

_48 hours. _

_Make sure Jacob Taylor and Shepard are in a safe place. I'll want you and Jacob to accompany Shepard on this mission. _

Miranda sighed deeply. No surprise he wanted Jacob to come alone. Jacob and Shepard were alike in many ways. Having someone he could relate with might make him trust Cerberus quicker. There was a problem though. Miranda was one of the few people who had full control over the mechs on the station. To avoid suspicion, they'll need a mole. Whoever was unlucky enough to survive the attack would have to suffice.

* * *

**A/N: Well here it is, I'm alot happier with this chapter than my last one. I'll continue to write when I have time so stay tuned for more. **

**As for the story itself, I always thought Wilson's betrayal was a bit odd. Bioware never really gave a decent explanation for why he betrayed Cerberus and they just expected us to accept it and move on. In my mind I always thought the idea of Cerberus causing the massacre and blaming it on a rat to gain Shepard's trust made more sense and was something Cerberus would be willing to do. Hope you enjoyed it. As always, criticisms and reviews are welcome.**


	3. Remember

_Two years._

_He should be more affected by this… but he felt nothing. Two years. He could vaguely recall a time in his youth when he had a bit too much to drink with a friend of his and woke up three days later. Apparently he had slipped on the floor, banged his head and fallen unconscious. Even just skipping three days had been an odd feeling. It almost felt like a waste. Three days of his life he spent literally doing nothing. Three days that was gone literally in the blink of an eye. But TWO YEARS? He should be feeling something, anything. Maybe in time it'll sink in. Or maybe he's still getting over the fact that he died. Yeah, he'll just go with that. _

Shepard looked up at the two strangers sitting across from him in the cramped shuttle. The one on the right was named Jacob Taylor, an ex-alliance soldier who grew tired of the bureaucracy of the council and decided to join Cerberus. An odd decision, from what Shepard could gather of Jacob, he didn't seem like a 'results at all cost' kind of person. He felt he could trust this man though, Jacob was honest with him back on the station, and Shepard had a sense for knowing who to trust. It had served him well many times, especially during his hunt for Saren.

The other was a woman named Miranda Lawson. He remembered waking up briefly back on the station as she stood over him. He couldn't make sense of anything at the time though. He didn't feel… right. Like something was missing. Memories started flooding back into his mind, it was too much too fast and they had to sedate him. Next thing he knew, the station was under attack.

He didn't know what to make of Miranda. She had helped Shepard off the station but brutally shot Wilson the moment she saw him without giving him a chance to explain himself. A part of Shepard told him maybe that was exactly the reason she did it so quickly. He'll have to keep an eye on Miranda. Shepard knows how people like Cerberus work. So long as they're goals were aligned they would be allies. He wasn't sure yet what these goals _were_ but if Cerberus was willing to spend so much time and money to bring him back, he does owe them at least a chance to explain themselves.

Jacob noticed the Commander was staring at the wall, a strange emptiness in his eyes.

"You okay Commander?"

"I'm fine; just a bit… how close are we to this Illusive Man of yours?"

"We're arriving now actually." Miranda nodded at the window, their destination quickly came into view. Shepard took a deep breathe as they began to dock. Jacob and Miranda stood up first and exited the shuttle ahead of Shepard. He couldn't help but twitch his hand near his pistol. Every time he has been inside a Cerberus facility he was greeted with a barrage of gunfire. He knew this wouldn't be the same but old habits die hard.

As they walked out of the hanger he couldn't help but notice the numerous cameras hanging over the halls. No doubt whoever he was about to meet was watching his every move. He had never heard of this Illusive Man, but then he figured that was the point. What kind of man spends billions of credits to bring back one person? Was Shepard really worth that much?

They stepped into what looked like an observation room. Miranda turned to Jacob, nodded, then walked on ahead to a console and began typing. Jacob turned to Shepard with an almost apprehensive look in his eyes.

"Just walk down that corridor; he'll be waiting for you."

Jacob looked like he was about to say something else but decided against it; instead walking towards the window and looking out into the void of space.

Shepard took one last look at the man before continuing on his own. The corridor lead down a flight of stairs and every step felt like a descent into the underworld_. Fitting then they call themselves Cerberus, the guardian of the underworld,_ Shepard thought to himself. _I just_ _hope this Illusive Man doesn't have three heads as well; might make conversing with him a bit difficult. _

The stairs came down to a dead end with a small circular platform in the centre. Stepping into it, a column of orange holograms rose up around him. As they reached over his head, his surroundings slowly changed. He was standing in a large room, with the only source of light coming from an enormous star in front of him. The flames swirled and danced over the sun, surrounding the only figure present in the room besides Shepard.

This figure was seated, a small cigarette in his hand that looked as much a part of him as his own hand. His clothes were casual yet radiated power. Like his business of brutal experimentation and advancing the human race in any way possible was as casual to him as mowing the lawn. But it was his eyes that stood out the most, they gleamed a soft blue that seemed almost calming, but it was the way they examined Shepard with the kind of cold, calculating nature that made them so mechanical. Shepard has seen many horrible things in his time; yet this figure was one of the few things that actually unnerved him.

"Commander Shepard," the figure spoke as casually as if he was talking to one of his own clients.

"Illusive Man."

* * *

_So much for a simple rescue operation._

Tali stood with a group of about a dozen other Quarians, they were examining a holographic map of the colony trying to find the best route to Veetor. This entire mission made Tali nervous.

They received a distress signal from Veetor yesterday and since Tali and her crew were nearest they were tasked with finding him. However when they arrived they noticed a strange ship leaving the planet. She could have sworn it was the same ship that attacked the Normandy two years ago. It had no recognisable ship signatures and didn't match any ship from council space. Luckily, the ship left just as they arrived. Regardless, Tali warned her crew to be prepared for trouble.

Once they were planet side, it became quite obvious what that strange ship was after. Not a single human was in the area. As they passed through homes they noticed it didn't look like there was any sign of battle. Not a single bullet, explosion or gas grenade would have been used. In fact it looked like nothing had happened at all.

_Did these people willingly leave with that ship? How else could they have gotten all of them on to it without so much as a gun being fired? _

Tali shuddered. This colony made her uneasy. The only signs of activity were the mechs which suddenly started firing at them as soon as they became visible. They were easily dispatched, but Tali made sure to simply disable one mech.

Prazza was Tali's second in command and neither of them was very happy about it. He was used to giving orders and having to follow them for once made him aggressive. He was well aware of Tali's reputation, but she was an engineer, not a soldier.

"Why the hell are these mechs shooting at us? You said this place was empty!"

"It IS empty, Prazza. Or haven't you noticed the lack of living creatures around? It's possible the mechs were ordered to attack on sight when that ship landed."

"Well if that's the case why hasn't there been any sign of gunfire?"

Tali shrugged.

"They must have been reprogrammed afterwards then. Which would mean someone is still here. Keep a look out, I'll examine this mech I disabled and see if I can find out who."

Prazza turned away with his rifle raised and began to slowly walk towards a house. The others did the same, examining each house in turn to make sure they were empty of mechs. Tali crouched over the mech and activated her Omni-tool, she sliced into the signal being sent to the still active receiver and read the code being used to control them. She recognised it immediately, it was Quarian.

_That must mean he's alive! Thank the ancestors; I was worried this whole thing was going to be a waste of time. _

Tali stood up and ordered everyone to regroup.

"I found the code being used to hack these mechs. It's Quarian, meaning its possible Veetor is still here. I've managed to track his location. We'll set up a base and decide the best way to get there."

The others nodded. Immediately they began moving in formation, being sure to check every corner for signs of mechs. They found a suitable house that overlooked the colony, giving them an easier time to plot their course to Veetor. One of Prazza's marines brought up a scan of the colony. When mechs are inactive it's impossible to determine where they are from scans alone, so they plotted a course that would offer the most cover in case of a fire fight.

"Hold on, I'm picking something up, looks like a small ship is landing in the colony."

A ship already? Tali was familiar with the council and knew they wouldn't have sent a survey team so quickly. The Quarians themselves only arrived as quickly as they did by chance.

"Any idea who it is?" she asked the marine.

"Looks like… Cerberus."

Immediately the marines tightened the grips on their rifles.

"Excellent." It was Prazza who spoke up this time. "This will give us a chance to repay those heartless monsters for what they did to the flotilla."

A few marines nodded in agreement.

"No Prazza, we can't afford to loose people to Cerberus, we need to focus on finding Veetor." Tali needed to try and calm Prazza down before he went and did something stupid.

"And what if Cerberus attacks us before we can fight back? It wouldn't be the first time they did that."

"If they don't fire on us immediately let me handle it." Tali wasn't exactly confident in her diplomacy skills. That was Shepard's talent. But she did pick up a few things, mostly that all you need to do is convince people that what you want is what they want. Hopefully they can avoid a bloodbath and focus on Veetor.

Tali could tell Prazza wasn't happy with that. None of the Quarians were exactly fond of Cerberus to be sure but it looked as if Prazza was willing to sacrifice the mission just to kill a handful of Cerberus operatives. But he knew his place, he scoffed at Tali before sitting down and examining the scan of the colony once again. Tali could tell the other marines were on edge now, a mysterious ship, an entire colony empty of life and now Cerberus showing up. What in the world is going on?

As she looked out the window trying to figure out which house could be holding Veetor, she heard the door to the base open and at least eight rifles expanding. No gunfire, which means the intruders aren't hostile. She immediately turned around and tried to stop Prazza from firing if she could help it.

"Prazza! I said I'll handle this!"

As she turned to the intruders she quickly sized them up. There was three, a dark skinned male on the right, a white oddly dressed female on the left and the middle figure was wearing black armour with a red strip down his right arm. Wait, she's seen that armour before. It was the same armour that Shepard…

_Impossible._

* * *

Shepard stood inside the elevator of the new Normandy. It felt almost nostalgic; the old Normandy had practically become his home. Having it ripped apart around him was heart wrenching to say the least. Like watching the house you lived in your whole life burn down.

_We have a second chance though. I won't let it happen again._

As he reached his own personal deck he was stunned by how luxurious the room was. It was twice the size of his office on the old Normandy; there was an empty fish tank on the left wall and a very comfortable looking bed across the room. Seeing the fluffy pillows and soft sheets made Shepard realise just how tired he suddenly felt. After everything that happened with Cerberus, Freedom's Progress, Tali, Joker and the shock of a rebuilt Normandy, all he wanted was to sleep. He stopped himself though when he noticed the bathroom was equipped with a shower. He needed to wash, it's been over two years since the last time he did after all.

His skin was sensitive to the warm water rushing onto his face but it felt amazing. He emptied his thoughts as he stood under the cleansing water. Relaxation overwhelmed him; for the first time since his 'resurrection' he felt at peace. He was in the shower for a good thirty minutes before he turned the water off. Grabbing a towel and drying himself, he hunched over the sink and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

Miranda had told him that his scars were not fully healed and would take some time but these were no ordinary scars. They glowed red for one thing. At least they were faint.

He stared at himself for a minute. Ever since he woke up he could only focus on what he was going to do next. Now he had time to think and he realised that something was wrong.

There were… gaps in his memories. He knew he was forgetting some things but no matter what, he could not remember the details. There was someone he knew a long time ago; a girl, very smart and skilled with technology. But he couldn't remember who she was. Maybe she was his sister? No that wouldn't be right, he didn't have a sister… or did he? Was it Tali? No that couldn't be right either. He didn't know Tali when he was a teenager. Panic quickly overcame Shepard. If Cerberus were able to recover most of his memories, was it possible they implanted memories themselves?

If that was the case, they probably wouldn't have left all the memories he had of the Cerberus facilities he destroyed. He'll have to check the extranet and the alliance for any information he could find on himself to make sure they were the same as his memories.

_Searching the extranet for himself_, Shepard chuckled. _How vain._

Shepard looked around the bathroom before staring back at the mirror. He suddenly remembered something he used to do with mirrors long ago. He 'discovered' it entirely by accident but the event had changed his perceptions forever.

_Well, worth a shot to see if I can still do it._

Shepard then began to stare into his own eyes, ignoring everything else. When he was a teenager, he had stared into his own reflection for so long he actually stopped looking at the image as his reflection. Before long, he started to view himself not as himself, but from an outsider's perspective. To see himself as others see him. Looking at his face from the perceptions of another person then allowed him to think of times in his life where to him, his choices made sense but to others were nonsense. His altered perceptions allowed him to understand the perceptions of others; bringing with it an understanding and self-awareness that he had never experienced before.

He was not able to achieve that feeling this time though.

_Maybe I've got too much on my mind. I'll try again later._

Disappointed, Shepard slowly dressed. The soothing feeling of being clean coupled with the exhaustion he felt from his first day back from the dead; Shepard collapsed on to his bed, and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

**A/N: Well that was alot longer than I expected. If people are wondering why I'm skipping all the important parts with the Illusive Man and Tali it's because I don't see the point in just repeating what happens in the game. The reason I wrote this is to offer my ideas about what happened that we didn't see in the game and what the characters might be thinking. **

**As always, criticisms and reviews are encouraged. **


	4. Aversion

Joker lovingly stroked the armrest of his new leather seat. Designed for civilian comfort and could actually rotate! Now he won't have to deal with all the sore necks he got whenever Shepard checked up on him.

_This is where I'm meant to be. Just wish I was the only one here…_

He glanced at the blue soccer ball that Cerberus felt the need to include. He handled the old Normandy like they were the same being, why should he need this smart-mouthed cue ball telling him what he can't do?

_Well everything comes with a price. After all, would you prefer this or being grounded again?_

He groaned thinking about the year and half he spent literally doing nothing. Then out of the blue Cerberus shows up on his front door. They offered him a chance to work for Shepard again, fly an upgraded Normandy and even receive surgery so he could walk without crutches!

_Life is sweet when you're the best. _

"Is everything alright Mr. Moreau? You're groaning would imply some sort of discomfort."

"I was just testing to see if my voice box still worked."

"You're vocal cords are functioning normally Mr. Moreau, although your voice does seem to be at a higher frequency. Have you been breathing Helium today or perhaps you're in need of testosterone injections?"

He glared at the floating orb. Was it making fun of him?

_Where's that damn mute button…_

* * *

Shepard lay facedown on his bed, leaking drool creating a dark stain on the sheets. EDI's blue orb materialised on the holoprojector near the door.

"Commander, we are 3 hours away from the Citadel."

Shepard didn't move.

"Commander."

Still nothing.

All of a sudden the room vibrated from the sound of an explosion blasting from the speakers.

Shepard shot up with enough force that he couldn't stop and fell backwards onto the floor.

"Ow! What the hell?"

"Commander, it is good to see you are awake."

Rubbing the back of his head, Shepard turned to the small orb floating innocently on the holoprojector.

"Well I guess I deserve that." Once he was on his feet, he performed some small stretches with his arms and neck. "So why the wake up call EDI?"

"We are currently 3 hours away from the Citadel. Councillor Anderson has responded to your message and I thought it might be best if you write back before we arrive."

"Yeah, that would be best."

"Also, the Illusive Man has contracted the services of a professional thief by the name of Kasumi Goto. He has arranged for you to meet with her on the Citadel, she will request a passcode that is in a message the Illusive Man has sent to your personal console."

"Thanks EDI, I'll check it out."

EDI's form blinked out of existence leaving Shepard alone with his thoughts.

_The first recruit… and it just so happens to be a master thief who could rob the pants off of you and sell them back without you even noticing you were half naked. Well least she doesn't sound as bad as some of the others._

Before Shepard had entered the elevator for his room yesterday he looked over the dossiers the Illusive Man had sent him. Best of the best.

_A master thief. A biotic psychopath. A Krogan warlord. A veteran mercenary. A reckless vigilante. A Salarian scientist. _

The only one out of the list he felt comfortable recruiting was the Salarian scientist, but he'll need the most experienced soldiers he can find, no matter how unstable they might be. The only reason he was recruiting this Kasumi Goto now was because he decided the best thing to do was visit the Council first. If they knew he was back they might be able to lend their support in some way. Shepard also wanted to see how well they were preparing for the Reapers, after two years they should be on their way to a sizeable army by now.

_I only wish my old crew could join me. Most of them sounded like they were simply too busy or literally disappeared from the Galaxy. But Tali seemed promising. She wanted to join but had a mission to do. Maybe after she's done she'll join me. _

Shepard sat down at his desk, opening his messages and reading over the response he got from Anderson.

_I wonder what Tali's doing right now._

* * *

Tali walked into her two and a half metre wide room and collapsed onto the bed. This room was luxury by most Quarian standards. Most were simply two metres wide. The extra half metre might seem trivial to other races but Quarians value personal space above all else.

Tali had returned to the Flotilla with Veetor and three surviving marines. She had sedated them all for the trip home, Veetor because of his delicate state of mind and the marines for their injuries. Now they were safe she had time to think.

_Shepard's back… after two years of believing him dead and gone forever he appears out of thin air. _

Tali lay on the bed thinking of the ramifications. After Shepard's death the Council and Alliance decided to brush everything he did under the carpet and attack everything he ever said; calling him 'stressed' and 'misguided', even at his own funeral.

Tali has never been to a human funeral before, but even she could tell it was pathetic. There was about seventy people there, most of which were on the Normandy. Admirals who Shepard had never met came on stage and spoke about his achievements, never once mentioning the man he was. They were quick speeches, the kind you imagine the speaker has as a template for every funeral except with the deceased name replacing the previous one. The only thing stopping Tali from storming out in disgust was the news that Hannah Shepard, John's mother, was doing a speech.

Shepard had never spoken about his parents; he was always the one listening. Tali often felt embarrassed for the amount of times she's talked his ears off about life on the Flotilla. She should have asked about him for once, given him a chance to vent.

_Now I'll never get that chance to talk to him again. You selfish bosh'tet._

When the time came for Hannah Shepard's speech, Tali could immediately see the resemblance. He had her eyes, steel blue with a spark behind it that made you feel like everything was going to work out in the end. Their voices were similar as well; calm, determined and compassionate.

For so long Tali thought Shepard was one-of-a-kind in the galaxy, but perhaps what she saw in him isn't so rare after all.

Hannah Shepard's speech was undoubtedly the best. She talked about who Shepard was more than what he did. But she was sure to remind everyone of what he fought for, the chance he gave them against the Reapers. The Admirals were clearly upset with her about this; they gave her a look so obvious they might as well hold up signs saying "You weren't meant to say that."

It made Tali smile under her helmet.

The funeral took place on Elysium; the Admirals thought it'd be appropriate since his greatest achievement among the Alliance (and not the Spectres) took place here. It was a beautiful planet but Tali felt more out of place than usual. On the Citadel the other races just ignored her. But here, they flat out stared at her not even trying to hide what they were doing. As a human settlement they didn't have many, if any, aliens. Seeing one with different legs and an environment suit she couldn't take off without dying was fascinating to them.

Tali wasn't sure if she preferred being ignored or being stared at.

During the ceremony she sat with Garrus, Wrex, Ashley and Liara. Garrus spent too much time staring into space, Wrex looked like he was about to rip out the spines of the Admirals and Ashley was just quiet. Tali was expecting Liara to take Shepard's death harder than the others since there were rumours they were a couple.

Other people commented she was taking his death well, but they didn't know her as Tali did. Liara had changed. She was no longer the caring, awkward Asari she once was. She was cold, emotionless. It was like when Shepard died a part of Liara died as well. She may not have reacted as obviously as the other crew members, but there was no doubt she was taking his death the hardest.

Tali herself didn't know what to feel anymore. It was almost too horrific to comprehend.

After the ceremony, the five of them booked a secluded table at a nearby bar. Doctor Chakwas was helping Joker reach the bar so they were going to be late. Anderson had promised to join them but he said the Admirals were holding him back.

The five of them sat in silence.

Eventually a waitress approached, clearly nervous about taking orders from aliens.

"Are you all ready to order?"

"Do you have any drinks for dextro-amino acid based patrons?" Garrus knew that for a human dominated planet they wouldn't, but he just felt like messing with someone's head. Anything to make himself feel better.

"Err… I think we're all out."

"Just water then."

Ashley and Wrex ordered the strongest drink they had while Liara and Tali didn't have anything. Tali felt like if she had anything to drink, even water, she might be sick. Not from infection, but from shock. Even after the ceremony the impact of Shepard's death never really sank in. Sitting together with the team, but with an empty seat that should have belonged to their Commander… it hit home. That seat would be empty forever.

The silence was deafening.

Tali had to say something.

"What's going to happen now?"

Even she didn't know specifically what she was asking, or who the question was aimed at.

Everyone looked at each other, concern clear on their faces. Ashley spoke first.

"After that ceremony, you can bet the Alliance isn't going to do anything about the Reapers."

"The Council won't be any different," Garrus added.

Silence again.

Tali knew it was true. After everything they did, facing the truth was too hard for the Council. But that didn't concern Tali as much as her next question.

"And us?"

Wrex knew exactly what he was going to do, long before this disaster even started.

"I'm going to Tuchanka. Shepard found my families battle armour, with it I can unite the clans."

Wrex suddenly stood up from the table, determination burning in his red eyes.

"Shepard gave me that chance. I WON'T waste it. Neither should any of you." Without so much as a goodbye, Wrex left, and Tali didn't see or hear from him again.

They stared after Wrex, what he said hit home for all of them. Shepard did so much for all of them and they were just sitting in a bar crying into their drinks. Garrus sculled his water and stood up as well.

"I'm going back to C-Sec. I might not be able to make a difference but Shepard taught me I have to try."

For so long Garrus believed the only way to end crime was to fight fire with fire. But Shepard taught him if you do that, then you're just a terrorist with a badge. Do things right or don't do it at all. He was going to try, he owed Shepard that much.

"Just so you all know, that ship and the people on it was the closest thing I had to a family." He paused for a moment; it looked like he wanted to add something but couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Take care."

With that, Garrus was gone.

Only Liara, Ashley and Tali were left. She needed to get out of there, as far away as possible. She had the geth data secured in one of her many pockets, she had it with her at all times. But while she planned on heading back to the flotilla to finish her pilgrimage; that wasn't the reason she wanted to leave. She just couldn't take this anymore. She felt like her heart was being crushed in a vice.

She stood up from the table.

"I'm going back to the Flotilla. In case we don't ever see each other again… Keelah se'lai."

That was it. The most heart crushing day of her life. It took months before she finally moved on from Shepard's death. She had always felt that it might have been possible, no matter how slim, that something could have happened between them. She won't deny she had feelings for Shepard, but it wasn't until his death she realised it was more than a simple immature crush. By then it was too late. But even if Shepard was alive he was with Liara, nothing could ever have happened. Eventually she grew to accept it. It was painful and it took a long time but she accepted it.

It had all been for nothing.

Now he was back. Alive and well and acting like nothing had happened. All of a sudden the flood of emotion she had held back for two years erupted in her chest and she started to cry. Snivelling, weeping and sopping, she never cried so much in her life. She was meant to be happy!

She hated him.

After everything they had to go through, after everything SHE had to go through, he comes back and all those feelings return like a sledgehammer to the heart. Why didn't he let them know? How could he work with an organisation that attacked the flotilla? It felt like the ultimate betrayal. She wanted to hunt Shepard down and kill him again herself. Just so he would stay dead. She wanted to crush those steel blue eyes until they were nothing but flattened gore. All she could think about was punching his face into the floor until nothing was left.

She hated him. The man she admired more than anyone else and she hated him.

* * *

Shepard stood in the Normandy's elevator heading to CIC. He shivered.

_Woah, someone's walking on my grave._

He smiled.

_Well that's actually possible now. Still, that was odd._

He decided to pass the time by meeting the new crew. He should have done this earlier but the desire to rest was simply too much. He'll make it up to them.

Little did he know that there was someone special on the Normandy. A woman he once knew a long time ago. Exceptionally skilled with technology, especially when it comes to forging their parents signatures.

* * *

**A/N: I'll be honest, I really have no plan for this story anymore. I'm just writing whatever comes to me now. So yes, there will be original characters that were not in the game. What will happen? Hell if I know. Tali will join Shepard at some stage, but there was a plenty of time inbetween when we met her on Freedom's Progress and on Haestrom. So I sometimes envisioned her getting as irrationally angry at Shepard as Ashley was. Simply because they long burried the feelings they had and having him return opened up old wounds that now need more time to heal. **

**As always reviews and criticisms are welcome. If you like how the story is developing, write reviews. It places me under increased pressure to write sooner. **


	5. Apathy

_How exciting!_

Natalie Jones sat at her monitor along the walls of the CIC, her first day on the Normandy. Cerberus had given her access to the Normandy's schematics when they recruited her so she could get an idea of how well the ship could function. She was extremely impressed.

Well by 'given her access' she really meant steal them without their permission or knowledge. But Natalie had a talent for covering her tracks. She was thorough with everything she did, sometimes to an obsessive degree. Some people would say that was her flaw, but any flaw can be an asset depending on how you use it.

Besides, she hated being kept in the dark. About the Normandy, about the people she knew and even with politics. That was how she found out who was really behind the attack on the citadel. It wasn't the first cover-up she has discovered but it was the first one she actually spoke out against, although there was another factor that made her act in such a way; Shepard.

Natalie Jones went to school with Shepard for a short time. They had a brief teenage romance before his family moved away. It was for this reason Cerberus found her.

The Illusive Man wanted Shepard's trust more than anything. So rather than fill the Normandy with his own men, he found the best technicians and crew that have shown support for Shepard in some way. To Natalie, this was a smart move and not just because it meant she was asked to join. She may not have much love for Cerberus but they're the only ones doing anything about the colonies and the Reapers, as such they need Shepard's skills to deal with this threat. But bringing him back would have been pointless if he wasn't even going to work with them.

There was a more personal reason she accepted their offer though. Ever since Shepard's family moved away, every now and again she noticed Shepard had attempted to find her. That would mean he never forgot about her, even after all these years. She could have contacted him, she _wanted_ to. But there was something in her life she needed to fix first. So she stayed below the radar. It was only after the news arrived that Shepard had died she finally got her life in order… mostly.

Now she has another chance.

She had planned how she was going to approach him a thousand times a day in her head. She would wait until dinner then sit down on the opposite side of the table. Say something cool like "It's been a long time Shepard," and then see where it goes from there. She couldn't **wait** to see the look on his face!

She smiled to herself and shivered with anticipation.

Natalie heard the elevator open and the unmistakable sound of his footsteps filled the room. She could almost **feel** his presence.

"Good morning Commander, slept well I see," greeted the overly cheery Kelly Chambers.

"EDI had to give me a bit of a wake up call, for an AI she has a strange sense of humour."

That was his voice! She never thought she'd hear it again in person. It had become so deep compared to the voice of the boy she once knew. She didn't dare look at him though, just in case he recognised her before she could surprise him. She kept her eyes glued to the monitor, but wasn't actually reading it.

"That explosion I heard above us wasn't her work was it?"

"That it was, Kelly."

"Thank goodness," Kelly breathed a sigh of relief. "We were worried something had already gone wrong with the ship."

"Well if you hear it again, you'll know I've slept in too late." Natalie could hear Kelly softly chuckle.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Anyway I've just come to check up on the crew, anything to report?"

"No sir, though I'm sure Joker would love to speak with you. He's quite eager to show off his new leather seat to anyone within earshot."

Shepard gave a brief thankyou and began to walk towards the cockpit. He passed Natalie and came within a metre of her, the tension she felt in her chest tightened with every centimetre. It's been 17 years since they came this close to each other and he wasn't even aware of it. She relished the thought of it. There was something strangely appealing about knowing things others didn't; what was even more appealing was knowing she had the power to decide when they would to.

* * *

_Just another day at Spaceport Security. _

Hannah Armstrong was the Information Desk attendant for the Citadel Spaceport, one of many but her district was the busiest.

Hannah had a theory about how much a person could like strangers. If they had a job that had the person directly interact with members of the public, then that person would grow to hate all strangers eventually. She had only been working for an hour and a half and already she had been called a racist, bitch, whore, jelly-rooter, frog-fucker and a list of other obscene names some of which she didn't even understand. Sometimes she was just tempted to turn her translator off and just ignore it all, but her manager said if she did that again she would be fired.

It wasn't her fault for all this security bullshit. The fault lay with the system itself, but of course the public doesn't care about that and only wants someone they can vent their frustrations on. Since she's the closest person that can represent the system, they take it out on her… assholes.

Hannah had just finished talking to a particularly angry Turian before she noticed an advertisement hologram had just appeared on the other side of the room.

"Hey Jerrod,"

"What?" asked the bored security guard.

"Was that advertisement always there?"

Jerrod followed her gaze and once he noticed the hologram seemed as surprised as she was.

"Humph… that's weird; I didn't notice it when I came in earlier." Hannah and Jerrod exchanged looks. "Should we call someone you think?"

"I'll call Melissa, she doesn't miss a thing." Hannah typed into her console and contacted her manager's headset.

"Melissa?"

There was a slight pause and what sounded like a bit of static.

"Yeah? What's wrong?" That's odd, Melissa's voice sounded a bit different. Maybe she had a cold or bad reception.

"Jerrod and I just noticed an advertisement right next to the C-Sec entrance that we think wasn't there a minute ago. Did you notice it when you came in earlier?"

"Of course I did! How blind are you two exactly?"

_Sheez, she sounds pissed. Best just drop it._

"Errr… sorry, just wanted to check. Thanks," then quickly hung up before Melissa could berate her further.

Kasumi Goto smiled to herself.

_Too easy. I swear someone in the Citadel must be trying on purpose to make my job so much simpler. _

Kasumi stood in the ceiling walkways that the Keepers used to get around. She didn't want to meet Shepard directly until she was sure it was him. Having someone return from the dead doesn't happen often, and usually the simplest explanation is the correct one. In this case, someone might be setting her up. She hoped that was not the case though. This mission sounded exciting!

Kasumi has stolen every single art-piece, classified data and prototype technology she has ever wanted to get her hands on. Despite the thrill she got from these heists, she wanted something new. She wanted to actually do something worthwhile for a change.

For years now Kasumi tried to convince herself that stealing all that art-work was to preserve it, keep it in the hands of people who would actually appreciate it. Keiji taught her that. At first it was all fun and games, but Keiji made her feel like there was a deeper purpose to what she was doing. Without him, that deeper purpose vanished. Stealing was hollow once again, and felt worse now that she once knew what it was like to find a purpose in what you do.

The person who said 'it is better to have loved and lost' obviously had never been in love.

She wasn't joining with Shepard for free of course. After all, if you're good at something never do it for free. But she wasn't interested in money. She had enough to swim in if she chose. No, she needed a favour. If she was going to get Keiji's graybox back she would need Shepard's skills. She read every dossier on him she could find, since his death some of Shepard's private information became public. Everything except his missions for the spectre's of course. But even that wasn't hard to track down.

Secrecy wasn't what the spectre's are best known for; all that separates them officially is being untouchable. That was exactly what she needed.

Shepard had admirable technical skills, combat skills and even somehow convinced Saren Arterius to shoot himself; impressive, but if she gets arrested it won't do much good. She knew Hock; she knew that he would have the best security system he could find. Even if they get through, she had no doubt in her mind they'd get caught. She wasn't using Shepard to help her get **in** to Hock's vault, as much as she needs Shepard to help her get **out.**

Kasumi waited for the ship to arrive. Patience is something every good thief needs.

About seven minutes, twenty-two seconds after their scheduled meeting, a very familiar looking ship docked right outside her window. She had never seen the Normandy in person but practically everyone recognised it on the Citadel, especially with that film being released soon detailing Shepard's 'Fight To Save The Citadel From The Geth'. Overly dramatised and half of it was nonsense to align with the Council's censoring, but had some decent actors at least.

Sure it wasn't released yet, but downloading films is just as common now as it was 200 years ago.

A small cab flew up towards the docking bay of the Normandy, it was at this point Kasumi noticed it was bigger than she recalled.

_Well duh, it was destroyed remember? No doubt Cerberus rebuilt it with some fancy upgrades._

This excited Kasumi all the more, the schematics she stole of the old Normandy made it look very cramped and unstylish. She hoped this one might be roomier.

The cab exited the Normandy's docking bay and flew down below her towards the C-Sec entrance. She activated her Omni-tool and began playing the automated message for Shepard she prepared earlier. The door to the cab opened and out popped Shepard.

_He looks good for a corpse._

He wasn't alone though. Following behind him was a woman, whose outfit made several men in the area stare, doing their best to be subtle and failing miserably. Beside her, Shepard was accompanied by a dark skinned man she didn't recognise, quite cute to. This mission may be more fun than she initially thought.

Kasumi noticed Shepard walking towards the advertisement, apprehension so obvious in his face she could see it from up top.

"Silence is golden."

Kasumi smiled.

"Good to finally meet you Commander."

* * *

Shepard walked into the embassy; a feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed him. The office looked unchanged; he was hoping the Council wasn't the same in that regard.

It looked like the meeting had already begun. The Council's holograms were in their usual places with Anderson facing them, trying to assure them Shepard would show up.

"Shepard will be here any…" Anderson turned to the sound of the door opening, and did his best to hide his surprise. It's not every day someone you believe dead for two years walks through your door. Even if you were expecting them, shock is inevitable.

"Commander, we were just talking about you."

Shepard smiled and extended a hand and shook Anderson's.

"It's been a long time Anderson; it's good to see you. Have the last couple of years treated you right?"

Despite everything that's happened Shepard still manages to walk in with a smile and a polite greeting. Anderson hoped it would stay that way, he knew what the Council was considering to do to Shepard. If he got violent or aggressive that would only make things worse.

"There have been some rough spots, but mostly tolerable." Anderson paused for a moment. "It's good to have you back."

Before Shepard could respond in kind, the Salarian Councillor interjected.

"We've heard rumours of your unexpected return. Some of them are… unsettling."

The Council knew he was back already? He'd only been active for slightly over a day. Something didn't add up. The Asari Councillor spoke next.

"We've called this meeting so you could explain your actions, Shepard. We owe you that much. After all, you saved our lives in the battle against Saren and the Geth."

Somehow Shepard felt she said that to remind the other Councillors, rather than him. But what 'actions' were they talking about? He hasn't done much yet. Well, best take advantage of their refreshed memories and get right to the point.

"Councillors, I've discovered that the Collectors have been the ones abducting human colonies in the Terminus systems. I have reason to believe they're working for the Reapers and I'll need your help if we're going to have any chance of stopping them."

Each of the Councillors gave a subtle but noticeable twitch at the word 'Reaper'. The Turian Councillor spoke next.

"The Terminus systems are beyond our jurisdiction. Your colonists knew this when they left Council space."

"You're missing the important part Councillor," Anderson pointed out. "The Reapers are involved."

The Councillor gave a very noticeable frown at this.

"Ahh yes 'Reapers'," he finger quoted the word with sarcasm so thick Shepard was momentarily stunned. "The immortal race of sentient starships allegedly waiting in dark space," the Councillor gave a dismissive wave. "We have dismissed that claim."

_We have dismissed that claim._

The words echoed in Shepard's head over and over.

_We have dismissed that claim._

Suddenly all the optimism, all the hope and trust he had in the Council evaporated. These 'leaders' decided to wish away a threat because it was _inconvenient._ They didn't care. Along with the wave of that hand, was the dismissal of their chance for survival.

Shepard's fist began to shake at his side. Fury was building up inside him.

"Apathy is death," he muttered.

"What did you say?" asked the Salarian Councillor.

Shepard looked at the Councillor right in the eye and said louder "Apathy is death."

The Turian and Asari Councillor glanced at each other.

"We're not being apathetic Shepard. We just see no reason to take action against something that has not been proven to exist."

_Not proven to exist. _

If Shepard wasn't wearing armoured gloves, his fingers would be clenching so hard into his palm it would be bleeding at that point.

"So that's it?" he asked, barely able to hide the anger in his voice. "After everything I've done, everyone I sacrificed, you've just dismissing me because it's… _inconvenient?"_ he muttered through clenched teeth.

The Councillors straightened their backs; clearly nervous at the tone of Shepard's voice.

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence Shepard," reasoned the Salarian. "You can't expect us to act on such a claim on your word alone."

"What would it take then, the entire Reaper fleet knocking on your front door? No, you'd probably just crouch under the table muttering that it's not real."

The Councillors frowned at this.

"Be reasonable Shepard, you've put us in an uncomfortable position. Due to your connection with Cerberus, we're obligated to have you charged with treason."

The anger that Shepard felt was immediately replaced by confusion. They knew he was working with Cerberus? How?

"That's too far!" Anderson interrupted. "I'm on this Council to and I won't let this whitewash continue!"

"If they want to kill me they're welcome to try. They'd only be signing their own deaths at the hands of the Reapers." Shepard glared at the Council, daring them. The Turian Councillor returned Shepard's glare.

"Don't. Test. Us. Shepard." Shepard could tell he was very close to giving the order. So much for expecting favours.

"If none of you are going to do anything, then I'll fight the collectors and Reapers myself and save your ungrateful asses yet again."

"We are not ungrateful Shepard. We're just letting you know the position you're in. To show our sincerity, we are willing to help; at least indirectly." This peeked Shepard's interest.

"I'm listening."

"If you stay in the Terminus systems and keep your activities covert, we're willing to reinstate your spectre status."

"Reinstate? I thought I was already a spectre."

"Spectre's loose their legal immunities when they're reported deceased, Shepard. Speaking of which, you will have to enlighten us as to how exactly you survived your ship being destroyed with you in it and then crashing into a planets surface from orbit. Surely you can understand our curiosity."

"I would prefer to not discuss it at this time Councillor." The Asari examined Shepard for a moment before nodding in understanding.

"Very well, but I hope you can explain it to us eventually. As for our previous offer, will you accept it?"

Shepard took a deep sigh. Despite the frustration he felt and his overwhelming desire to tell them to shove their offer up their asses, he needed the powers of a Spectre in case he had trouble with any authorities.

Placing his hands behind his back and raising his head high, "I accept your offer Councillors. I'm grateful for the help."

_No matter how small it may be._

Clearly relieved at this, the Councillor smiled.

"Excellent, we wish you luck in your investigation Shepard." The images quickly faded away, Anderson let out a deep sigh that Shepard thought he may have been holding in for some time.

"You were pushing your luck there, Commander."

"Of course, pushing my luck is how I stay in shape." Anderson gave a weak smile at the joke.

"In any case, least they were willing to reinstate you. It won't change anything though."

Shepard shrugged.

"If I'm going to attempt this mission, having legal immunity could always be useful."

"True enough. What will you do now then?"

"I'm going to build up a team to stop these attacks on the colonies. I've already recruited one member; I'm heading off to Omega to find others."

Anderson nodded.

"Well if there's anything I can do, let me kn…" Anderson was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

"Anderson! We need to talk about…." The familiar voice stopped in midsentence. Shepard turned towards the wrinkled face of Udina and felt a smirk spread across his lips at the look of absolute terror.

"What's the matter Udina? You look like you saw a ghost."

"So it's true then." Udina glared at Anderson expecting answers. "Would you mind explaining to me what _he_ is doing here?"

"Shepard came here to speak to the Council, we just finished our meeting."

"You what…" Udina began to physically shake from panic. "Councillor, does the term political **shit storm** mean anything to you?"

Shepard chuckled under his breath.

"This is NOT a laughing matter you imbecile! Do you have any idea of the implications of…"

"Relax Udina, it went fine. The Council reinstated Shepard's spectre status and he agreed to stay in the Terminus systems for the majority of his investigation."

"Investigation? Into what exactly?"

"I'm afraid that only _Councillors_ and Spectres can be aware of the details." Shepard answered, placing heavy emphasis on Councillors.

Udina's eyes narrowed.

"I see… in that case, I'll be in my office if you need me. _Councillor._" As Udina left the room, Shepard couldn't help but smile. Anderson turned to Shepard.

"You need to be more careful, we can't risk loosing allies."

"I know, but after what we did to us during our hunt for Saren I just couldn't help myself. That'll be the only time, I promise."

"I sure hope so, Commander."

Shepard extended a hand.

"Thankyou for the help Anderson, I'll be in contact."

Anderson smiled and accepted Shepard's hand.

"Make us proud Shepard."

* * *

Jacob and Miranda stood outside the embassy, looking out towards the water. Shepard had asked them to wait outside; having Cerberus in the room might have made the Council even more uncomfortable. Still didn't make waiting any less painful.

At last Shepard descended the stairs and joined them.

"How did it go?" asked Jacob.

"The Council won't help us directly but they reinstated me as a Spectre." Miranda gave a condescending humph.

"Guess that's all we could have hoped for. What's our next step Commander?"

"We'll pick up some supplies and then head to Omega. I promised Gardner I'd find the crew some decent food. I didn't even have to taste the rations we have on the ship now to know it would be dreadful." Miranda crossed her arms at this comment.

"We purchased regulation rations for the crew Commander, no need for insults."

"Even so, we might not be coming out of this mission alive, least we can do is give the crew a decent meal."

"Very well Commander."

The three of them set off to catch a cab back to Zakera Ward. As well as the food, Shepard planned to buy the Brandy that Chakwas mentioned. If there was one thing he needed after all this, it was a drink with an old friend.

* * *

**A/N: These chapters just keep getting longer and longer. I know I said I'd try and avoid repeating what happens in the game but there are some moments I can't help but want to add something to. Hopefully it won't be too boring. Comments and criticisms appreciated. **

**Update: Thought I'd say it here, I'm not going to continue this story. I keep going over it and I'm just not happy with it. I know most writers aren't happy with their work but this more has to do with Mass Effect than my writing. I just don't feel like I can do the story justice by retelling it with a few bits added here and there. Not very original bits either. So since I follow the philosophy "If you can't do better, don't do anything" I'm giving this story up. However there are other writers on this site that do an absolutely amazing job on Mass Effect fan fiction and I would strongly suggest checking out their stories. First stop: Interstitium.**

**Thanks to all who reviewed this story and if anyone does actually enjoy my writing, check out my Fallout 3 fan fiction 'Isolation'. (I'm actually happy with that one.) **


End file.
